Bluewater Welcomes Erin Hrushowy

Our staff would like to introduce you to Erin Hrushowy - the newest member of the Bluewater office team. Erin's educational experience is in Business & Tourism Marketing - and has a variety of work experience in Logistics and Planning. Erin can be reached at info@bluewateradventures.ca and looks forward to helping you all plan your adventures this season.

Bluewater in British Columbia and Westworld Magazines - Available Now!

Check out an article "Sail through Haida Gwaii" - by Frances Backhouse who joined us in May 2008 in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Special Anniversary issue, Summer 2009


White Sight - Spirit Bear Spotting in BC - By Bill and Joan Prunkl
Summer 2009 issue

visit our media page for full articles and other recent news

Illegal Grizzly Bear Poaching Discovered in Great Bear Rainforest Park

Picture by Randy Burke, Bluewater Adventures

Bella Bella (June 12, 2009) -- A grizzly bear trophy hunter was found illegally baiting bears Thursday night in the Giltoyees River Conservancy Area on the B.C. north coast. Captain Eric Boyum, owner of the bear viewing company BC-based Ocean Adventures, discovered the incident while guiding a group of international clients in the remote watershed twenty-five kilometers east of the First Nations village of Hartley Bay. "We were getting settled in for the evening to photograph and watch for bears as they feed on sedges at the waters edge," stated Mr. Boyum reached by satellite phone on the Douglas Channel "when we discovered the individual, along with a large sack of bait being used to lure the bears into shooting range." "We have reported the full details of this sickening discovery to the local RCMP in Kitimat." Under section 33.1 of the BC Wildlife Act, it is illegal to use bait when hunting bears. "We have been receiving reports all season from frustrated bear viewing businesses, First Nations and members of the public that are fed up with finding trophy hunters in areas where they believed wildlife were protected." stated Ian McAllister of the conservation group Pacific Wild. "However, this blatant illegal poaching - in a park - is one of the more disturbing." The B.C. spring bear trophy hunt season closes on June 15th and it is estimated that between 100 and 150 BC grizzly bears have already been killed for sport in 2009. The BC liberals recently declared 30% of the central and north coast protected but continues to allow trophy hunting of bears in protected areas.

Over 80% of the protected areas and parks in British Columbia allow trophy hunting to occur within park boundaries. A coalition of Coastal First Nations, conservation and animal welfare groups have been working to ban the sport hunt of bears on the BC coast and Haida Gwaii. A 2009 Ipsos-Reid poll shows more than 79 percent of British Columbians want to see protection for bears in the Great Bear Rainforest.

For more information contact: Ian McAllister, Pacific Wild

outbind://85-0000000045F121361680344AADFC01B3B64AAA8D44352600/ian@pacificwild.org For b-roll video and interviews contact PacificWild. http://www.pacificwild.org/

Getting to Know Humpbacks

By Bruce Whittington, Bluewater Naturalist

Taxis, buses, ferries, a plane ride or two — it’s not easy to get to Haida Gwaii for a trip with Bluewater Adventures. But the effort seems to vanish once we are underway. Each time I return, I am reminded of why I love this place: it’s the abundance of life here.

Within the national park reserve, vast forests stand unchanged by industry. The Haida people continue in their ancient relationship to this land. In May, thousands of tiny Ancient Murrelet chicks make their midnight dashes to the sea, in search of their parents whom they know only by the sound of their voices.

Perhaps the most visible of Haida Gwaii’s residents are its Humpback Whales. Until the 1940s, these gentle leviathans were hauled ashore at Rose Harbour, and rendered into oil and meal. The population was reduced to a fraction of its historical size. Today, though, the Humpbacks have returned in a way that is at once encouraging and exhilarating.

They come from Hawaii, where they spend the winters mating, and giving birth. But they do not feed there. In the spring, they migrate to the North Pacific, with its teeming marine food chain. The 40-tonne whales feed largely on krill, tiny animals that may be less than two centimeters in length.

On a typical Bluewater cruise, we see whales daily. Some are identified only by their distant blows, while others feed intently within easy photo range of the boat. It’s not unusual to see 20 or more whales in a given area.

How many whales are there? Are we seeing the same whales over and over? I’ve been photographing the whales in the years I’ve been a naturalist for Bluewater, and it’s fascinating to see how different these animals can be.

Researchers are identifying Humpback Whales by the pattern on the underside and trailing edge of their broad tail flukes. They range from black through mostly white, with an amazing variety of patterns in between.

Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans hosts a web site with photos of over 1,000 Humpbacks known to occur in British Columbia waters. They are grouped according to the amount of white in their flukes:
http://www-sci.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sa/cetacean/humpbackwhale/default_e.htm

Using this site, I’ve identified at least eight whales in my photos. It’s exciting to know that “my” whales have been seen before. But more exciting was a whale photographed in 2008 that appeared again in my photos from 2009! The whale’s number is BCZ0273, and here are the photos. You can see that the pattern on the tail is the same a year later. (The yellow markings are algae growth, and they do change over time.)

It shouldn’t surprise me to see the same whales returning, but it is a thrill just the same. It gives me hope that perhaps this diverse and wild landscape will continue sustain the Humpback Whales and all the other species that call it home.

Bruce Whittington, Naturalist

CORAL DANGER

Environmental group launches expedition to assess danger to coral from trawler gear By Judith Lavoie, Victoria Times Colonist May 31, 2009


Picture: Stringer, AFP/Getty Images

VICTORIA — Delicate forests of deep-sea corals under Hecate Strait and the Queen Charlotte Basin are virtually unprotected from destructive fishing methods such as bottom-trawling for groundfish, says the executive director of a marine environmental group.

Each year in British Columbia waters, about 2,000 kilograms of coral is hauled to the surface in trawl nets, according to Department of Fisheries and Oceans statistics. "That is amazing when you think the coral is incredibly light and fragile — it's not huge boulders," said Jennifer Lash of Living Oceans Society.

Lash, with a team of international scientists, will embark on an expedition in June that she hopes will provide enough information to convince the government to step in and protect the coral forests. Until now, there has been little research into varieties and locations of the tree-like creatures, Lash said. In 2004, after research by Living Oceans, activists demanded the deep-sea habitat be protected from bottom trawling and DFO responded with a scientific review that concluded the habitat should be protected.

Boosting calls for protection was a 2004 statement signed by 1,100 international marine scientists calling on governments and the United Nations to stop the destruction of deep-sea corals. "Bottom trawling is like fishing with bulldozers," U.S coral expert Elliott Norse said at the time. But action from DFO has been slow, largely because of lack of information about deep-sea corals, Lash said. For the full article, click here

Bluewater Adventures is active in educating our guests about this issue, as we do daily intertidal explorations - we are visiting some of the richest intertidal zones in the world. If these disappear, we will be educating our guests on what once existed in these coastal waters.

Looking for your "Video Diaries"

Photo: Rudy Stein

For those of you on Bluewater trips this year, we are looking for short 30 second video clips of you telling us why you love the destination you are traveling in! Whether you are watching a Spirit Bear play in the river, a pod of whales traveling past the boat, or enjoying the beautiful scenery that surrounds you. We want to hear your comments, and we will post your videos on our website to help show guests what makes these trips great. If you have any questions, please email Leanne at explore@bluewateradventures.ca

Guests are Soaking in the Charlottes

Natural hot springs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hundreds of Humpback whales, ancient totem poles, Haida Elders, local culture, migrating sea birds, untouched beaches, black bears, sunshine, gourmet food...the list goes on. What a week on the Island Roamer!

Hungry Bears...

By Neil Shearar - Bluewater Skipper

Last year while running a wilderness expedition on the remote British Columbia north coast I had an incredible shock. We visit coastal estuaries in the hopes of encountering bears, Grizzly bears and Black bears feeding on salmon that migrate up the rivers to spawn in the late summer and fall. I have run these bear focused trips for many years. On a typical year I expect to see many thousands of salmon in any one of the estuaries we visit. Last year I was stunned to find that there appeared to have been an absolute collapse of fish stocks within the estuaries we visit.

One river, typically a Grizzly hot spot, seemed very quiet on our initial approach, the tell tale bald eagles which dot the green tree tops with their white heads and the seals which hang around in the river mouth were suspiciously absent. As we entered the river we expected to see large schools of fish hiding from predators as they migrate upstream, carcasses of spawned out fish washing downstream and covering the bottom where they nourish the estuary and river mouth, also partially consumed salmon carcasses strewn along the banks where bears and wolves had left remains that the eagles and other animals would clean up. We saw nothing, not one fish. Normally this place would be ripe with the scent of decaying salmon, there were none.

We made our way up river and climbed out onto the river bank, pushed our way through some brush and yelled "Hey Bear" to make our presence known as we hiked up a narrow bear trail. We broke out into a sedge meadow with open sight lines and then quietly scouted around. There was a lot of "bear sign" more than usual, bears had been excavating, feeding on the bulbs and root systems of estuary plants. Bears typically do this earlier in the summer while they wait for the return of salmon to the estuary. There was also the occasional berry filled scat, further indication that bears were around. We sat tight and scanned the meadow for signs of movement, as bears often bed down in the sedge grass to rest during the mid day. Finally after a time there was some movement, a juvenile male Grizzly came out of the tree line and ventured out into the open. This was the skinniest bear I had ever seen, his ribs were showing through his coat. Typically bears we view at this time of year are rotund having gorged on fish in preparation for winter. We saw no other bears that day in a place we normally would count on seeing many. It appeared as though the bears had waited in anticipation of their yearly bounty that never came.

I saw this scene played over in many of the amazing places I take people to experience in the B.C. coastal wilderness, it is a great concern. The loss of wild salmon stocks on the North American west coast is catastrophic and tragic. The north Pacific salmon run may be the largest movement of biomass on the planet and is the primary natural source of protein for the entire region. There are a few likely reasons for the stock declines, some we can do little about, some we can.

It is clear that the effects of salmon farms on wild salmon migration routes are a major factor. Alex Morton is a biologist from the Broughton Archipelago, her research has clearly shown these effects, she has been fighting an uphill battle, campaigning against strong financial interests to put an end to the current system of salmon farming. There is a petition running collecting names to show that the public are aware of this issue and wish to see more effective management of wilderness recourses.

Please view the web site www.adopt-a-fry.org/?page_id=42 and sign the petition. Some people may perceive these causes as liberal, socialist and even bleeding heart. Please suspend this perception for one moment, this is as conservative as it gets, the growing and sustainable tourism industry in which I am employed is at stake. B.C has incredible untapped tourism potential which will provide employment and economic growth on the coast for years to come. Our wilderness as a resource needs to be better managed.

Please forward this message to as many people as you can and sign the petition if you care. Current number signed is 14 000, we need thousands more if this issue is to receive any real attention.

Cheers,

Neil Shearar

Oil Cube Lifted out of Robson Bight 'Cleanly'

$2.5M salvage operation underway after barged tipped in August 2007

Picture: CTV News

Observers on a barge in Robson Bight ecological reserve held their breath yesterday afternoon as a metal cube containing 1,400 litres of hydraulic oil was carefully pulled to the surface. "There was a lot of anticipation when the cube finally broke the surface, but the crew were very calm and professional, which helped," said Randy Alexander, environmental protection manager for the Environment Ministry. The two-metre-square container, with 72 pails of lube oil, had been sitting on the ocean floor since August 2007 when a barge tipped equipment into the famed wildlife area, where threatened northern resident killer whales feed and rub themselves on pebble beaches. The 11 pieces of equipment belonged to Ted LeRoy Trucking of Chemainus, which is charged with numerous pollution violations. The company declared bankruptcy last year.

The $2.5-million operation to remove the oil cube and a fully loaded fuel truck from 350 metres of water is being conducted by Mammoet Salvage B.V., a company based in the Netherlands, on behalf of the province and federal government.

A remotely operated underwater vehicle was first sent into the water, then a crane dropped down hooks and chains, which were attached to the container by the underwater vehicle before it was slowly pulled to the surface. Initially, the company planned to cover the cube with a special jacket to catch any spills, but with debris on the ocean floor, it was feared cables could be snagged.

The operation went extremely smoothly, said Paul Spong, director of whale research station OrcaLab, one of the many environmental groups pushing government to remove the equipment. "It came out of the water cleanly. There was a tiny bit of residual oil, but they had a boom around the site and I would say there was no impact on the environment."

Click here for the full story by Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist

Birds of Haida Gwaii, Queen Charlotte Islands

Photo: Bruce Whittington

The spring plankton bloom which provides a rich influx of food into the ecosystem and supports breeding colonies of up to one million seabirds. Some of the more colourful species include: tufted puffins, horned puffins, rhinoceros auklets, black-footed albatross, black oystercatchers, and pigeon guillemots. With such abundant bird life, raptors, such as the peregrine falcon, are common in the Charlottes. Heavy concentration of Bald eagles. Our constant companions will be the smaller seabirds such as ancient murrelets, marbled murrelets, common murres, phalaropes, and gulls. If you are an avid birder, the best time to be in the area is May and June.

Join avid birder, author and Naturalist - Bruce Whittington May 23-31, 2009.

Bluewater Adventures - The Book!

That's right, you can share your memories with friends and family right on your own coffee table! The Bluewater Book is 20 pages, full colour, hard cover and full of amazing photos and information on your favourite coastal destinations. Purchase onboard the vessels or order online.

NDP promises to buy Vancouver Island land...return public control

Source: http://www.dogwoodinitiative.org/
New Democratic Party leader Carole James promised today an NDP government would buy 12,000 hectares of land on Vancouver Island that the B.C. Liberals removed in 2007 from management under the province's tree farm license system.

For the full article by Andrew MacLeod click here

Annual Spring Newsletter!

Check out the Bluewater Spring Newsletter on our website! This edition of 'Waterways' shows 2009 special trips, talks about our adventures and provides insight into coastal conservation issues that affect the areas in which we operate. Check it out!